"What? You didn't cheat? You memorized it?"
Teacher Wang stared at Xu Xing in astonishment. He furrowed his brow and scrutinized Xu Xing's every move. This calm demeanor didn't seem like that of a cheater. Judging by Xu Xing's actions and expressions, he was inclined to believe more than half of what Xu Xing had said.
In the Imperial Examination, there was no lack of scholars with exceptional memory. Ancient books also recorded many cases of individuals with extraordinary memory. For example, Wang Can, one of the Seven Scholars of Jian'an. The Records of the Three Kingdoms noted: "Can, along with others, reads roadside stones. Once read, he can recite them without missing a word." Another example would be Liu Kezhuang from the Song Dynasty, "who read ten lines at a glance from midnight till dawn." Xiao Tong of the Southern Dynasty, "when reading a few lines of text, he could remember everything at a glance." Such examples were numerous.
Officials who could hold the Red and Purple Titles were all blessed with good memory; even he himself was the same. He had passed the Imperial Examination and become a Juren in the 21st year of Tongzhi. Without being a Juren, he wouldn't be eligible to teach Scholars at the Academy. At least one-third of the Scholars at the Academy were Students (also known as Scholars).
"Hmm… So that's how it is." Teacher Wang's anger subsided considerably. He pondered for a moment before saying, "I'll write two Four-Book Questions. If you answer them correctly, I, your teacher, will apologize to you personally. But if you answer them incorrectly, you'll be expelled from the Academy."
Despite his belief that Xu Xing had a good memory, procedure still demanded that he verify the claim.
"Yes, sir." Xu Xing nodded.
Soon, Teacher Wang flipped open "The 30,000 Exam Questions," found two questions from the first ten pages, wrote them on a piece of paper, and handed it to Xu Xing to answer.
The first Four-Book Question: "The Master said to Yan Hui, 'When employed, to carry out one's principles; when set aside, to keep them concealed. Only you and I have truly attained this!'"
The second Four-Book Question: "If the common people have enough, how can their lord be in want?"
Both these Four-Book Questions came from The Analects; Teacher Wang had shown Xu Xing some leniency.
Xu Xing took a deep breath, his right hand pausing for a moment as it reached for the pen stand. The atmosphere grew somewhat tense. Just as Teacher Wang, growing impatient, was about to ask why Xu Xing hadn't begun to answer, Xu Xing grasped the brush, dipped it in ink, and began to write, his strokes as smooth as flowing clouds and moving water.
The two Eight-legged essays were completed in one go.
Teacher Wang didn't wait for Xu Xing to hand in his Answer Sheet. He picked up the still-wet paper and slowly read through it. "The first one. The Argument: 'The Saint knows when to act and when to remain obscure; this subtlety is revealed only to those capable of grasping it.' This is from Han Zhan's top-scoring paper in the Imperial Examination of the 12th year of Kangxi. Indeed, not a single word is different."
"The second question. The Argument: 'When the common people below are prosperous, the ruler above will naturally be prosperous as well.' This is the Eight-legged essay written by Wang Ao in the Metropolitan Exam of the 11th year of Chenghua..."
He nodded as he walked and read. Firstly, he was satisfied with the Answer Sheet Xu Xing had written. Secondly, reading these excellent works by ancient masters was like savoring sweet spring water, refreshing his whole being. To read them meticulously was as pleasing as the chiming of jade pendants, a truly uplifting experience.
After finishing, Teacher Wang put down the Answer Sheet. He hesitated for a moment, then asked Xu Xing to stand. Lifting his robes, Teacher Wang bowed deeply to Xu Xing, saying solemnly, "Never before in the history of teaching has a master so doubted his own student. Please... accept this master's apology..."
He knew that if one made a mistake, one had to admit it. He had wronged Xu Xing, so an apology was inevitable.
Xu Xing quickly stepped back, moving to the side, refusing to accept Teacher Wang's deep bow.
Putting aside the immense kindness Teacher Wang had shown him, just considering his own scheming from the examination until this moment—he certainly hadn't harbored any good intentions. Moreover, he had indeed cheated. It was just that his method of cheating was so subtle that neither Teacher Wang nor anyone else in the world would be able to discover it. He felt truly ashamed to accept this bow.
"'Thus, feeling at ease in their learning, they draw close to their teachers. Delighting in their companions, they trust in the Way. Therefore, even if they depart from their teachers' guidance, they do not turn against it...'" Teacher Wang recited. "Xu Xing, this is a principle practiced by the Academy. You need not refuse."
Seeing Xu Xing unwilling to accept the gesture, Teacher Wang spoke these earnest words. This passage, from The Book of Rites, explains that when students truly engage with their learning, they naturally grow close to their teachers, enjoy their companions, and trust in the principles being taught. Thus, even after departing from their mentors' direct guidance, they will not forsake the teachings previously imparted.
"Yes, sir."
Upon hearing this, Xu Xing accepted Teacher Wang's bow and, in turn, also bowed deeply to Teacher Wang. This reciprocal bow signified his acceptance of Teacher Wang's lesson that day.
"You may leave now; it's getting late." Teacher Wang returned to his seat, shook his head, and continued, "As for your ranking… relying on Imperial Examination Samples can only be a temporary crutch, not a lifelong support. They might help you pass the County Exam and Prefecture Exam, but when it comes to the Provincial Examination… I've placed you in the middle tier. I hope you will study diligently in the future and not let your talent go to waste."
Xu Xing bowed and left the instructor's lodging, closing the door behind him.
"What happened? Why did Teacher Wang suddenly call for you?" Outside the door, Zheng Zhaifu and Chen Jian'an saw Xu Xing emerge from the lodging and asked anxiously, their faces full of concern.
Seeing their concern, Xu Xing chose his words carefully. "It was about the accusation of cheating. I'm not well-versed in the Confucian classics, so what I wrote… was from the sample essays in 'The 30,000 Exam Questions.'"
After the exam, the Weijing Academy would post the rankings, known as the "Red List." Beside the Red List, the Answer Sheets of all examinees would be displayed in order of rank. In a few days, his Answer Sheet would be made public, so concealing the truth… was pointless. Furthermore, he had chosen to use Imperial Examination Samples on his Answer Sheet precisely to demonstrate to everyone at the Academy that he was a Genius with an exceptional memory. This way, when he eventually passed the Imperial Examination, it wouldn't cause too great a shock.
The strategy of 'remaining silent only to amaze the world with a single feat' was not suitable for the Imperial Examination. If an unknown person suddenly achieved a high rank, it would invariably arouse suspicion. As for why he had only written two sample essays and not three… It was a matter of 'going too far is as bad as not going far enough.'
"What? Is that what happened?" Chen Jian'an exclaimed. "No wonder Teacher Wang called for you. Cheating is a serious matter!"
Hearing this, Chen Jian'an felt a sense of relief. But he quickly gave Xu Xing a suspicious look. "You were let out by Teacher Wang, and you look so relieved… Don't tell me you've memorized all of 'The 30,000 Exam Questions'?"
If Xu Xing had truly cheated, Teacher Wang wouldn't have let him go so quietly. There could only be one explanation: Xu Xing had answered the exam questions using his own genuine ability.
"I haven't finished memorizing all of it," Xu Xing replied, feigning modesty. "I've only memorized parts of the 'Upper Analects,' 'Lower Analects,' 'Mencius,' 'The Doctrine of the Average,' and a few others. For some, I only memorized the Arguments, not the full sample essays. That's why I only completed two essays in this exam and left the other one blank… I was just lucky to encounter questions I knew."
Xu Xing replied "truthfully."
In reality, he hadn't copied all of these exam preparation books in their entirety, only selectively transcribing key sections. It was sheer luck—like a blind cat stumbling upon a dead mouse—that he happened to have prepared for all three questions.
"So that's how it was…" Chen Jian'an breathed a sigh of relief.
If Xu Xing had truly memorized so many Imperial Examination Samples in just a few short days… how monstrously talented would he have to be? The fact that Xu Xing had answered two but left one blank, while still sparking a little jealousy in his heart, made it somewhat more bearable for Chen Jian'an.